DNP Develops Film for use with Laminated Glass That Brightens Rooms

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd (DNP) has developed a film for use with laminated
glass that effectively reflects and disperses natural light to brighten the
entire room. Laminated glass attaches two sheets of glass on either side of
the newly developed film, which is both strong and achieves a smooth surface.
As a result, laminated glass that employs the newly developed film exhibits
security features, such as being more difficult to break that standard glass,
and exhibits high level resilience. At the same time, such glass is also equipped
with superior daylighting functions. Sales will commence from October 2015.

[Background]

DNP has positioned the environment and energy as a growth area, and is promoting
activities designed to create products and services considered essential to
affluent consumer lifestyles - referred to as Tomorrow's Basics.

Lighting film has been the focus of attention in recent years as an energy
saving measure, and has led to power consumption reductions by being attached
to windows to effectively draw in light and make rooms brighter during the daytime
hours. At the same time, laminated glass, which is produced by attaching two
sheets of glass together, is more difficult to break than standard glass and
is therefore used for security purposes. DNP has seen demands to use lighting
film in laminated glass in order to achieve brighter rooms. Currently available
lighting film, however, is often scratched during the hot-press bonding process
when it is inserted between the two sheets of glass. Alternatively, the micro-machined
layer designed to reflect and disperse light may be damaged by the adhesive
agent, resulting in a deterioration of the daylighting function. In order
to overcome this challenge, DNP has called on optical design technology developed
in optical film for displays, and micro-machining technology. In addition to
boosting overall resilience, and equipping the new film with security features,
the Company has also successfully developed a lighting film that loses none
of its daylighting functions even if used in laminated glass.

[New Product Features]

By creating a structure that takes the light reflective and dispersal
features and positions them, not on the surface of the film, but interior
to the structure, it has been possible to successfully develop lighting
film with a smooth surface.

And by optimizing the optical properties of the materials used in the
micro-machining process utilized in order to reflect and disperse light,
the new film has been designed so as to facilitate the effective drawing
in of sunlight and brightening of the room.

Tests were conducted with laminated glass using the new film in windows
on the north side of houses that traditionally do not get much sunlight,
and it was found that on a before-and-after-basis brightness was boosted
by a multiple of two, and lighting energy was reduced by 13%.

Also, as the sun's ultraviolet light can be cut by 99%, it is also possible
to reduce damage to the human body, house furniture and carpets.

Laminated glass is based on a difficult to break structure that attaches
two plates of glass with the strong film in between. Existing lighting film
exhibits its daylight effect via the creation of fine bumps on the surface
of the film, but adhesive materials can fill in these bumps, damaging the
daylighting function and making it difficult to use with laminated glass.
In contrast, the new film achieves a smooth surface by creating a structure
that houses the daylighting function within the film. As a result, resilience
has been increased, the film is more difficult to scratch, and it is now
possible to use it with laminated glass.

[Looking Ahead]

DNP will offer this new film to standard houses, office buildings, along
with educational, commercial and healthcare facilities, aiming for total sales
of 3.0 billion yen by FY 2017. The Company will also promote the development
of various types of lighting film that make effective use of sunlight.

* Product prices, specification and service contents mentioned in this news
release are current as of the date of publication. They may be changed at any
time without notice.